Even If
by BizzareDragon
Summary: Sora loses a bet; to prove he's a man and not a kid, he takes on a challenge. He must pretend to be a girl for two weeks, but when he meets Riku, who falls in love with the female Sora, things change. How will he tell him the truth if he's in love too?
1. Challenge

**DISCLAIMER:**I don't even deserve to own my stories since I never finish them on time and keep starting new ones... so what makes you think I actually own a _finished_piece of magnificence like 'Kingdom Hearts'?

**ANOTHER DISCLAIMER: **'_Veritas4Eternity_' pointed out (thank you again, by the way!) that my story was very similar to another story called '_Mirage_', only with a different pairing of course. I just want all my readers to know that this wasn't done on purpose in any way— I'm not the type to plagiarize. But seriously, I mean, how many Kingdom Hearts stories are there on this site? I couldn't possibly go through every last one to find out whether my story already exists. Ah well, I guess I'm just kinda bummed about this. :P But it's fine, I'll read the other story and try to make mine as different as I can. Bear with me guys!

**So yeah, to continue with this... **

**Just go ahead. Kill me now before I make **_**another**_** story without completing the others... Okay, so this story is one of those fanfics that come to you at 2.30 in the morning when you're watching **_**Project Runway **_**reruns and, even after waving them off over and over again, pop up in your head again the next day just before breakfast and beg for hours on end to be written until you finally sit down at the computer and type the damn thing up. Then just when you think you've forgotten, or maybe you want to take a break from it and possibly work on something else, **_**BAM**_**! It's back to haunt you until you exit out of the uncompleted chapter of **_**Closed**_**in Microsoft Word and continue writing this one. **

**So I decided to start it. **

**Anyway, here's **_**Even If... **_**I really hope you guys enjoy this one. I think I'll like writing it. It's so unlike everything else I've read. :)**

**By the way, This chapter and chapter two will be the only ones out because I'm off on vacation until July! Woo!**

**Enjoy!**

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**Summary:**Sora loses a bet with Tidus, Roxas, and Kairi and feels like he's been cheated. So to prove to them he can take anything they throw at him, he makes a bet— anything they want for anything he wants. And unfortunately for Sora, Tifa hears his boasting and challenges him. So Sora must pretend to be a girl—clothes, hair, personality, and all—for two weeks. The thing is, it must be a secret from every stranger he meets; no one must know he is pretending. And when he meets Riku, what will happen when the silver-haired boy starts to fall for the new Sora? How will he feel after the two weeks are up and Sora must go back to being his usual self?

* * *

_"If you must play, decide upon three things at the start: the rules of the game, the stakes, and the quitting time."_

**- Chinese Proverb**

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**Chapter 1 - Prologue Challenge**

"Th-that's not fair! You guys cheated...!"

Kairi shook her head and tapped her foot, a smug, playful smile plastered on her face. "Sorry Sora, but that's how it is. You _lose_." She grinned brightly.

The sun's rays hit her square on the side of the face, producing a glow in her eyes that could easily be labeled as menacing. Kairi was a sweet girl, but she had a tendency to get too involved in the moment.

Tidus laughed and ruffled Sora's hair. "Come on, don't be a sore loser. It's not our fault you almost got caught."

Sora pouted, his fists shaking. These three... his _friends_... they set him up! Roxas offered to do his history essay for him if Sora could "man up" and do something worthy of being _called_ a man. History wasn't a bad subject for him per say, it was just that with work, his father's hospital bills, and his exams coming up, he didn't have time to try to bring up his high C. This essay was worth more points than any of his tests thus far and he _neede_d it done and done _right_ in order to make it for the grade deadline at the end of next week. Roxas writing his essay was just a bonus, however. It irked him beyond his limitation to know that his friends didn't think he was_man_ enough.

So he wanted to show them.

And he figured it would be something simple. But the others already had the perfect idea. All Sora had to do was take a picture of the girls showering in the locker room after their big game.

But, of course, Sora was Sora. And Sora didn't know if he had the stamina and full battery of consciousness to go through with the task. If worse came to worse, he would pass out, be found face down in the water near-death, be expelled just as he found the light at the end of the tunnel of death and into world of the living, and live a lonesome life with a pot belly and a rapidly receding hairline, drinking beer in his parents' basement... even _after_ their deaths.

Nothing that bad would ever happen though.

But it was something he _had_ to do. And he did. Kind of... He made it to the door of the locker room, took out his camera, and before he could even touch the door, a cluster of girls pushed through the door and ran past him. They didn't even notice him, aside from the occasional shove out of the way. A teacher popped his head out of his classroom and Sora bolted for the school exit. But before he did, he heard one of the girls exclaim how it was so "weird but definitely amazing that Tidus just called" and wanted to see her.

They_did_ cheat. Well, at least Tidus did.

Roxas grinned cheekily. "Guess this means I'm off the hook, huh?"

Sora shoved away the arm Tidus suddenly placed on his shoulder as a form of consolation. "You _called_that girl 'cause you _knew_she'd run out. I know you did, Tidus!"

Kairi looked at the tall blonde-haired boy with wide eyes. "You did what?" She might have been up for a good bet every now and then, but Kairi was a straightforward girl with a liking for fair play.

Tidus's face reddened and he cleared his throat. "I, erm... it wasn't cheating. I just decided I really liked Yuna and I wanted to—"

"You've liked Yuna for two years, and just _now_ you decide to call her and ask her out?" Roxas raised an eyebrow.

Tidus stepped backward in defense, laughing nervously. "Better now than never?"

Sora's inner self did a pleased bounce-and-spin. Everyone was on his side now!

Tidus sighed and scratched the back of his head. "Fine. But it was just a harmless joke. I mean _come on_! It's Sora. How easy is it to—"

"Don't finish that, Tidus." Sora cut in. "You thought I couldn't do it, or what?"

"Well, no... I knew you could do it, just... fine, so I _thought_ you could do it... kind of."

"Kind of?" His body stiffened.

"Okay, no... no I didn't think you could do it."

Sora flushed. Oh.

"B-but trust me, Sora! I only did it for your sake! You would've gotten_expelled_ if you got caught—and you'd _definitely_ get caught." Tidus argued, grinning at how right he was. And in all honesty, he really did do this mostly for Sora's benefit. But it was also partly because Sora was easy to make a fool out of... not that he would do it often or anything.

His fists shook and his anger was overflowing.

And then, he snapped.

"Listen here, _Tidus_. I can definitely do _anything_ you want me to do."

Tidus swallowed heavily and took a step back as Sora advanced on him slowly.

"I can take pictures of those girls every day for the rest of my life. I can even take pictures of the professors if you want me to! You want me to go steal the principal's dog? Fine! So don't even _think_ that I need you guys," He looked around at the other two who cowered quietly against the bike racks. "to do anything for '_my sake'_. Okay!"

"Okay." A voice came from behind Sora.

Said boy flipped around. "Wha…?"

There she loomed; Tifa Lockhart.

Tidus bumped back against the wall and let out a deep sigh. His eyebrows furrowed. Great going Sora.

Tifa was a sophmore in the nearby college. She walked past the high school every day on her way home. When she was in her final year of high school, Tidus and his group had gotten on her bad side, permanently creating a grudge that Tifa held close to her heart every time she even heard Tidus's name mentioned. Sora hanging out with Tidus was good enough to make her dislike him as well.

"Didn't know you were such a brave kid, Sora." She grinned mockingly.

Sora frowned, attempting to show her that he _was_ brave, even though he was quivering and near tears on the inside. "Y-yeah."

She nodded. "Good, only barely stuttered that time."

He blushed a beet-red color, almost purple. "Look, Tifa, I'm not—"

"Not in a good mood? Yeah, I can tell. Tidus cheated, I hear?" He glared at him, subtly of course.

Tidus glared back, only not so secretively.

"It's no big deal."

Tifa eyes Roxas. "Oh, it's pretty big." Her gaze was back to Sora. "You said you could do anything?"

Kairi stepped forward. "Come on, Tifa, leave him alone. He was just kidding."

Sora whipped around. "What do you mean I was just kidding? I wasn't_kidding_. I _can_ do whatever it takes to show you guys I'm not some baby."

Tifa smirked. "Well then, prove it."

Sora's eyes widened. "Prove it?"

She waved her hand around. "Well yeah, I mean, if someone said they dove off of a mountain and there was no proof of it ever happening, how would you believe them?"

Tidus growled in the back. "Tifa—"

"So all I'm saying is," She ignored the blonde boy. "Prove it. Prove to me—sorry—_us_, that you're not afraid to do anything. That you really _aren't_ just a kid."

Sora thought about it for a brief moment. He had everything to lose if he backed out after _that_ speech. Why did he always get himself into things like this? "Fine."

Roxas eyed him, surprised. But instead of talking him out of it, he instead questioned Tifa. "So what do you want if he can't?"

She laughed for the first time. "Oh nothing. This is all just for fun. It's no big deal to me if he can or can't."

Tidus walked up to the raven-haired girl. "Oh yeah, that's easy to believe, Tifa."

She shrugged. "You don't have to believe me. What if I just want to help the kid out?"

Sora piped in. "I'm _not_ a kid, would you all stop calling me that?"

"Sorry,_Sora_." She winked. "And anyway, Tidus, you're probably just against this 'cause you don't think he can do it. You still think he's too weak to take on a challenge."

Tidus paused. He didn't want to hurt Sora by agreeing with her. Dammit…

"Okay fine. Do what you want Sora, but don't ask me for help." With that, he walked away.

Sora didn't care. He already knew Tidus didn't think so highly of him. "Fine. If I lose, you get nothing. So, what's the bet?" He took a deep breath to prepare himself for whatever was in store for him."

She thought for a moment, placing her finger on her chin. "Oh, how about…" She let the silence eat at them all for a little while before finally continuing. "You don't have to take any _pictures_of girls, don't worry. All I want you to do… is to _become_ a girl— looks, clothes, and personality— for two whole weeks."

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**Woo! A quick start… This is basically a prologue to the story, just a quick insight as to how the bet came into play. The next chapter is a prologue part two, I guess you could call it. It'll be out really soon, since I already have half the chapter written. Hurray! **

**The next chapter will be based on Sora's "transformation" and the rules of the bet. It won't be too long, but it's pretty necessary to the development of this story. **

**Then Riku will come in chapter three, which won't be out until May, just like all my other stories (check my profile for more information!).**

**Well, I really hope you liked it:) Again, I know it's not much just yet, but it'll get good! So please review! I love hearing from my readers. And really, it takes not even ten seconds to just click the button and say "Good job!" or "Awful! EW!".**

**- Dragon**


	2. Transformation

**DISCLAIMER: **I do not own Sora, Roxas, Tidus, Kairi, Tifa, Cloud, or Kingdom Hearts. I just own this plot… Oh, I can see the money rolling in…

**So, here's chapter two! Not bad, huh? This one's a bit… I dunno; no **_**boring**_**, but different, since it's pretty much all about Sora's introduction to the world of femininity. It's just a fun read, **_**and **_**it's got information about the rules of the challenge, so it's worth going through. **

**By the way, I went and read my twin story and, I'm happy to say, it is **_**only**_** similar to mine in it's broad plot— boy to girl; fall in love. Mine however, will get to the climax and ending in a different way. Hurray! My story is saved!**

**Enjoy the chapter! :)**

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**Chapter 1 - Challenge**

Sora didn't care. He already knew Tidus didn't think so highly of him. "Fine. If I lose, you get nothing. So, what's the bet?" He took a deep breath to prepare himself for whatever was in store for him."

She thought for a moment, placing her finger on her chin. "Oh, how about…" She let the silence eat at them all for a little while before finally continuing. "You don't have to take any _pictures _of girls, don't worry. All I want you to do… is to _become_ a girl— looks, clothes, and personality— for two whole weeks."

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_"All changes, even the most longed for, have their melancholy; for what we leave behind us is a part of ourselves; we must die to one life before we can enter another."_

**- Anatole France**

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**Chapter 2 - Transformation**

Looking around the wide school courtyard, the most prominent sight was a series of hanging jaws. A confused and flushed Kairi felt dizzy and swayed in her spot, tightly gripping the metal rail of the bike rack.

Sora mimicked her, only he had nothing but the stiff Tifa to grab hold of; and that was a big no. "A…a-a-a girl…?" His breath came out in a loud whooshing sound, as though he'd been holding it in for the last hour.

Tifa grinned almost cruelly at the brunette. "Yep." She eyed his spiked locks and his baggy clothing with slight disdain. "And I know just the place to get the work done at."

"W-work? What kind of… of work?" Roxas stuttered. He was having a hell of a time standing upright himself. The whole point of this was to make Sora more of a _man_, and here she was making him go transvestite. Okay so sure, Sora was one of those androgyny boys, who's beauty could have rivaled a few girls, even. But cross-dressing? _Seriously_? Sora was his best friend, and he would _not_ stand for this. Literally.

Tifa waved him off, not even gracing him with a quick look. "So, you in?"

Sora gulped. He supposed he was in… but what exactly was he getting himself _in_to? This was going to be a long spring break, he was almost positive. "S-sure… I guess."

Tifa smacked him on the back, causing the younger boy to stumble forward. "Way to go, kid! Er, I mean _Sora_." She winked at him, taking hold of his wrist, and then waved goodbye to his gaping friends.

Tidus, who was watching the scene from behind a nearby wall, jumped out and ran toward them, snapping Roxas and Kairi out of their stunned state.

"Tifa! Hey, _Tifa_!" He wrapped his hands around Sora's free wrist and yanked him from the woman. "He's not doing this. You can't just make a… a_ guy_ do something like this!"

Tifa sighed and rolled her eyes, obviously becoming increasingly exasperated with the annoying blonde-haired boy. She looked down at Sora, arching a brow in question.

Sora blinked. When he realized that it was Tidus who came back and, well, mishandled him, he jerked his arm away and glared. "I can do this." It was all that was needed to be said. He amazed himself with how much courage seeped in his voice as he said that one sentence. To be honest, he actually believed himself for a minute there.

Then as Tifa took his wrist once more and continued leading the way, he felt all of that courage dissipate.

"H-hey, Sora!?" Kairi called out, running after him.

Roxas simply stuttered in his place before running after her.

Tidus began complaining, letting sharp sounds of shock and disbelief escape him, as he watched his friends run away with that monster called Tifa. With a loud grown, he gave up and ran quickly after them, figuring it was best to support Sora in this situation rather than to make him feel awful about what he was doing.

That did sound like a great idea though, Sora deserved it after what he was letting Tifa do to him…

* * *

Sora cocked his head back as the strong scent of pricy lotion and overly acidic hairspray flooded over him. What _was_ he doing?

Tifa whistled until a pair of equally fearsome stylists walked through a long pink and yellow patterned curtain in the back of the shop.

The first was a man… probably. His hair was unruly and cotton candy pink, sprayed at the edges to spike his layers just barely. He wore a white button-up shirt with elbow-length sleeves and dark blue jeans that fitted closely to his long legs. A baby blue bandana was tied around his neck, contrasting against his pink hair. He looked…smug… yet kind of nice at the same time.

The second was a female; once again, most likely. Both seemed as though they could pass as both genders. Her hair was short and blonde, gelled back to the nape of her neck. Two antennae-like strands of hair made their ways to the back of her head just like the rest, only not quite as glued down. She wore a white button-up shirt as well, but with a white undershirt visible through the thin fabric of her blouse. Her pants were a black khaki—very simple yet elegant. She tapped a pair of long scissors against the palm of her hand and sighed with what seemed like boredom.

Great… These are the people who hold the next two weeks of his life in their hands.

Just great.

Sora squirmed where he stood, visibly uncomfortable.

The pink-haired man stopped and smiled at Tifa, then peeked down at Sora curiously before grinning broadly. "Hi there!"

Tifa slapped him on the shoulder to get his attention. "Marluxia, I have a project for you…" She wiggled her eyebrows playfully. "And it's a fun one."

Marluxia's eyes gleamed with anticipation at the sound of that. "Really now?" He looked back at Sora and leaned in. "I take it _you're_ my project, honey?"

Sora's eyes widened slightly. "Y-yeah…" He didn't want this project to _ever_ start.

A hand shot out at him, taking his tightly. "Marluxia. You?"

Sora mumbled something incoherent at first, then cleared his throat and tried again. "Sora."

Marluxia clapped his hands together, squealing with excitement. "Great!" Back to Tifa. "So what're we doing?"

The blonde behind him made a frustrated sound.

"Oh! Right…" Marluxia laughed. "This is Larxene. She's in charge of hair and makeup around here. And I," He batted his eyelashes.

Sora cringed. Yep, definitely gay.

"Do clothing and accessories. I can make you a really adorable jacket, _So-ra._" He winked seductively, causing Sora's stomach to lurch.

Tifa swatted both of them to the side and pulled Sora to one of the chairs that lined the salon. She turned to Marluxia and Larxene—all the while ignoring Sora's three friends who anxiously stood by the door—and placed her hands on her hips. "Okay guys, I want _this_," She pointed to the brown-haired boy. "To be a girl."

Marluxia's smile faltered and even his bright bubbly hair seemed to dull and wither. Larxene even dropped her shiny silver scissors.

Tifa looked at them like it was the most common thing in the world. "What? Can't do it?" She smirked.

Marluxia shook his head and put his hands up in defense. "No, no, no! I—we can. Just… why? He's _such_ a delicious looking _boy_. I don't see _why_ you'd want to… change him."

With a sigh and a beckon of her hand, she called Marluxia and Larxene, along with many of the other employees of the salon, for an update.

* * *

"So!" Marluxia tied a velvety-soft pastel green smock around Sora's hair, pulling all of the locks back so that no strands could fall around his face. "First thing's first, we've got to make your face look a little more feminine. Not saying you're not beautiful as it is." He smiled.

Sora blushed uncomfortably. Oh _god_.

Larxene spun the familiar scissors around her thumb and slammed them against the end table, making Sora wince. She pulled up a chair and sat far too close to the brunette, but he let it go.

"So, a girl, huh?" She smirked. "Well, let's see what we can do."

Sora sucked in a deep breath through his teeth. Here goes… _Why_ did he agree to this? "Maybe we shouldn't d—"

Tifa cleared her throat and Sora hushed, letting Larxene continue.

"Now then…" She glanced at his lips, then his nose, his cheeks, his eyes, forehead, and eventually stopped at his eyebrows. A grin spread across her face; the first _real_ smile Sora had seen from the ice woman. "You've already got thin brows, but lets go all the way, kid."

Sora tensed. Eyebrows? Oh man…

The light-haired woman pulled out a utensil Sora had never exactly seen close up. It was a small metal thing, with two ends, like mini-tongs. _Tweezers_. Just the word made him shudder. She closed in on him, pressing the tweezers against his skin and lightly pulling on a hair.

"This might hurt a little the first time, but, uh," She smirked. "I'll teach you how to use this for daily use. I'm sure you'll get used to it after awhile."

Sora was about to protest, but a sharp sting made him squeeze his eyes closed and jerk his head away. "_Ow_!"

Kairi smacked him upside the head. "Oh shut up, it can't hurt that bad." She'd recently gotten quite excited about Sora's little transformation and was, to say the least, pretty anxious to see how he'd look.

Marluxia shook his head. "Men do always over-exaggerate."

"You're a guy too!" Sora spat, almost doubtfully.

Marluxia shrugged. "I'm an exception."

He pursed his lips together as Larxene squeezed his arm. "Relax now. One down, a few dozen left to go."

Sora inhaled once again. "Let's finish this."

Tidus couldn't help the chuckle that left his lips. "Words of a brave man, Sora."

Roxas joined in, laughing quietly yet feeling bad at the same time. Poor Sora.

Said boy ignored them.

Larxene positioned herself and her tweezers again, picking a long darker hair that seemed misplaced on the boy's almost perfect set of brows. In an attempt to reassure him, she patted his leg and counted to three before continuing.

"_Urgh_—" Yelps and whimpers echoed all throughout the salon.

* * *

Sora pouted at his reflection in the long oval mirror. His eyebrows were now perfectly symmetrical arches, making thin, graceful shapes above his eyes, further emphasizing his femininity. He stomped childishly in front of the mirror, crossing his arms. Only god knew what was next in store for him.

Marluxia placed his hands on Sora's shoulders, leaning down to whisper in his ear. "You look stunning so far, honey."

He blushed. "Don't call me that!"

Larxene shoved him away and pulled Sora around so that he faced her instead of himself in the glass. "Let's see what's next." She lifted a chestnut-colored spike in one hand and leaned back for an over-all view. "How about…"

Sora saw the gleam in her eye as her sentence faded. "No. Please… _not_ that."

Roxas's breath hitched in his throat and Kairi and Tidus froze.

The blonde girl shot Sora look that said she was not to be defied. "You gonna be a girl or what? If you're _scared_, then just tell me."

Sora opened his mouth to speak, but then closed it. This was all against his better judgment, but he wasn't going to back down ad embarrass himself. Then again… _doing this_ was also going to embarrass him in the long run.

"But…" He sighed. "_Fine_."

Tifa smirked in the back, narrowing her eyes evilly at Tidus, who shrunk under her glare. Although he tried to look strong and undeterred, he was failing miserably every time her eyes fell upon him.

"We could shave it all off, go for the short hair look. It'd be kinda cute actually." Larxene mused, mostly to herself.

Sora blanched.

"Nah, we'll just go shorter." Her eyes lit up with a bright idea.

Sora held his breath the entire time, watching through watery eyes as little by little, strips of brown strands fell from his head to the floor.

Closing his eyes, he willed the nausea to go away. Who knew that getting a haircut would be so… sickening?

"All done."

As soon as it had started, it was over. Sora opened his eyes hesitantly, blinking slowly. He looked up at Larxene, who grinned proudly at her handiwork. "Looks good, kid."

Sora clenched his jaw and prepared to be turned toward the mirror. But it didn't happen. So he pulled off his smock and took his feet off of the stand on the chair, ready to turn himself around.

A pair of arms stopped his efforts. "Not yet, Sora." Tifa sang. "You need to see the whole thing. So wait a while, 'kay?"

"B-but Tifa, let me just—"

"No." And that was all she said. There was nothing else, yet Sora felt completely obliged to listen and do as she said.

Larxene pulled up a table full of all sorts of makeup— from eye shadow to blush, eyeliner to mascara, concealer to bronzer, lip liner to lip stick— everything.

Once again, Sora paled. He only wore makeup once in his life, and that was in a play in second grade. He was a ghost in the Halloween story they acted out, and even then the makeup was itchy and uncomfortable.

He amazed himself and his friends in the salon with his silence and obedience.

First, Larxene pulled out a small jar of white cream. She pulled out some of the paste and slathered it around his mouth—above, below, and to the sides. She also placed some between his newly girled-out eyebrows.

Sora gulped… he guessed what was coming.

And he was right.

Her next move was to pull out a razor from a small box at the edge of the table.

"Larxene…" He warned quietly, pleadingly.

As if she didn't even hear him, Larxene placed a hand on his forehead as a means of steadying him and brought the sharp tool to his skin.

Sora could feel the beads of sweat forming under Larxene's hand as she shaved off the miniscule amount of facial hair he had on his chin and upper lip.

Well, there went his years of puberty. All for nothing, really.

The job was finished smoothly. Not a cut was left on Sora's smooth skin after Larxene washed and dried off his face. He begged to look at himself in the mirror, but no one would let him.

Tidus leaned in to examine Larxene's work. It was good, but maybe she was taking it all to the extremes… Sure, shaving his non-existent facial hair was one thing, but then shaving between his brows? "Hey, lady, you sure this is really… I dunno, necessary? I mean, it's only for two weeks. And Sora already looks like a girl, he doesn't need _this_ much wor—"

"Tidus!" Sora's cheeks were tinted pink as he rubbed the sides of his face. It _was_ smooth… he was almost positive that after all of this was over, he wouldn't be able to recognize him. Tidus was an insensitive jerk, but a right one.

Marluxia butted in with a loud squeal of delight, pulling Sora out of his thoughts. "My turn!" He smiled brightly and yanked the boy from the chair, dragging him to the back of the salon while managing to avoid all mirrors.

The backroom was a haven of clothes— with colors ranging from lights to darks and pastels to deeps. It was a room with a crazy atmosphere that reminded Sora of a very unorganized circus. At the end of the room, there was a tall object draped with a maroon fabric. Sora assumed this was the mirror. And of course, it was covered for the sake of surprise.

Just great.

"So! Let's see… we need to get you something bright blue. It'll bring out those beautiful eyes of yours." Marluxia pranced around the backroom from cart to cart. He reminded Sora of a deer in the forest at the beginning of spring.

Excited.

_Hungry_.

Marluxia reappeared with a long cerulean gown in his arms. "You're a skinny guy, this'll make you look gorgeous." He grinned.

Sora blushed and shook his head violently. "There's no way. Nu-uh. I am _not_ wearing a dress. I'll wear pants and a girl's shirt, but no dresses." He would stand his ground for this. This bet would not be taken _this_ far. He would never cross dress. He remembered Tifa saying something about his appearance having to be feminine, but he never thought he'd have to go to such drastic measures! Girls wore pants too! Why couldn't he?

Marluxia frowned. "I hate to threaten you, Sora, but I can go get Tifa and you can battle it out with her. My job was to find you a cute dress to wear for your first day of being a woman."

Sora flushed, suddenly scared.

"But if it bothers you that much…" Marluxia looked around and dropped the dress where he stood. He stepped over it and picked a white item of clothing from a nearby dresser.

Another dress?

"…we can get you a skirt." His smile was warm and generous. But his intent, Sora was sure, was anything but.

_Only two weeks._ The thought made him feel a little bit better, and he decided to suck it up and let them have their way with him.

Sora felt a tug at his pants and looked down to find a pink head. He panicked. "Wh-wh-what are you d-d-d-doing?!" In the spur of the moment, he shoved Marluxia to the ground and hid behind a long, flowy black dress hanging on the wall next to him.

"God, kid, you're a lot stronger than you look." Marluxia rubbed his lower back to get rid of the pain that erupted as it collided with the hard wooden floor.

"Y-you can't just go around trying to take people's pants off!"

He grinned mischievously. "I've done it before."

Sora paled.

"Fine, if you don't want me to do it, just get dressed yourself." He threw the fairly long white skirt at Sora and found a soft blue top with short puffy sleeves to match it. "There. I'll turn around, so hurry." Marluxia let out a humph and crossed his arms as he faced away from the brunette, giving him some privacy.

Sora stared down at the two garments that were tossed so carelessly into his hands. Would he really put them on? Could he set aside the embarrassment to do so?

Yeah, why not? He'd already survived a tweezing, a haircut, and a shave.

Sora set the blue shirt on a pedestal and slipped off his shorts, quickly stepping into the skirt. He felt a breeze and it was _not_ comfortable. Suddenly diving into a childish state, he did a few half turns, watching the shirt spin and flip. He peeked up to see if Marluxia was watching, but he wasn't, so he continued getting dressed. If the skirt was uncomfortable, it was nothing compared to the shirt. The tightness of it cut off his air and the lace on the sleeves scratched his fragile skin.

The pink-haired man asked if was alright to look, and Sora hummed in response.

Marluxia beamed at him. He rushed up to Sora and gripped his hands tightly in his own. "You look _adorable_!"

Sora blushed and looked away, yanking his hands out of Marluxia's hold. He muttered a quiet thank you.

"But…"

Sora looked up curiously.

With a click of the tongue and a shake of his head, Marluxia spoke up. "It's just not right for you."

Sora sighed, relieved. Finally. Someone saw eye to eye with him. "Tell me about it. I guess I'm just not a skirt-wearing type of g—"

"Let's try a few more outfits on!" The happiness in his voice melted Sora's complaints. When Marluxia rounded a corner with a foot-high pile of clothes in his arms, Sora felt woozy.

Just then, the door swing open and in walked a disgruntled Larxene holding two cases of what Sora assumed was makeup.

When would the nightmare stop?

* * *

An hour had passed…

And Tidus was becoming very impatient. "Seriously, Tifa, if Sora decides to go for a gender change after this, I'll hunt you down and smother you in your sleep."

Tifa scoffed. "And how do you know that Sora hasn't _already_ gone for that? He's about as girly as Marluxia is, and that's saying something."

Tidus scowled. "Sora isn't _gay_. Just 'cause he looks like a freaking girl doesn't mean he has the same… same…" He sputtered for the right words.

Kairi stepped in with a finger in the air. "Sexual preferences?" She offered.

"Yeah!" Tidus bit his lip. That'd be sick. He's known Sora for years! Sora might not have had a girlfriend before, but he _did_ like girls. He was sure of it! Sora always agreed with Tidus when he talked about a girl's chest or legs. Tidus even caught Sora peeking at the girls' swim team at their school.

Tifa shrugged. "You'd be surprised, Tidus. While a girl, _anything_ can happen." She winked.

Kairi rolled her eyes at her friends discomfort. "Come _on_, Tidus. She's just teasing you. Does it really bother you that much?"

Tidus blushed and frowned. "_No._"

Roxas mimicked Kairi and rolled his eyes as well. Tidus was so full of himself… But in times like these, when Tidus's wall was down, it was just best to deflate that ego of his. "Hey, Tidus. If Sora goes gay, I swear I'll stay straight with you." He walked up to Tidus and wrapped an arm around his waist. When Tidus looked down, surprised, Roxas batted his eyes.

Tidus smirked and shoved him away. "Yeah, great. Thank Rox."

"No problem."

Tidus blinked, remembering something. "Hey Kairi, did yo—"

"_Shh_!" Tifa quieted, slapping Tidus on the back of his head.

Tidus let out a yelp and rubbed it furiously. "Hey, what'd you do that fo…" He followed Tifa's gaze to the backroom door, where Marluxia stood holding a long white cloth to his side, apparently covering something… or _someone_.

Marluxia cleared his throat. "Attention. Attention please." It seemed as though he would have clapped his hands for a better affect, but seeing both hands were occupied at the moment, he settle for tapping his foot a few times.

Larxene stepped out of the backroom from behind Marluxia and took a seat in the chair near one of the other hairdressers. She made a side comment to her, which was replied to with a nod and a cheerful smile.

Marluxia continued. "You all know the stunning Sora that walked in here earlier, right?"

Tidus snorted. "No duh."

Tifa elbowed him in the side.

"Well… I bet you guys didn't know the beauty that was hiding behind all that… erm… well, I'd like to say _manly_ exterior, but—_oof_!" Marluxia grinned at the boy behind the curtain. "Just kidding, just kidding." He cleared his throat once more. "Anyway, there's a goddess under all that testosterone and today, I've uncovered her." He sucked in a deep breathe and, like a child on Christmas morning, squealed out: "Who wants to see?!"

Kairi's hand immediately shot up in the air.

Tifa chuckled at her excitement. Even Roxas laughed and patted her shoulder.

Tidus, however, stood there anxious and tense.

"Introducing… well, I thought about giving him a more feminine name, but Sora's a unisex name anyway. And I figured the less of a chance he can screw up the better." He smiled, proud of himself. "So, here's…" He dropped the white fabric. "Sora." He whispered.

Gasps echoed in the salon. Girls brought their hands up to their mouths. Larxene grinned and crossed her arms smugly over her chest, sliding down in her chair.

Tifa's eyes widened just a bit with shock, but with a happy sort of shock.

Kairi squealed in delight, face bright red and legs moving up and down in a hopping motion.

Roxas just stared at the sight, jaw wide open.

Tidus's reaction was the most different from everyone else's. His heart stopped and his lungs compacted. A slight hint of a blush swelled on his cheeks and his hands fisted.

Sora's facial expression wasn't exactly that of a regal queen; it was more of a twisted, sour look. But his overall appearance was amazing.

Sora wore a knee-high buttercup yellow dress with puffy sleeves. Lace lined the sleeves and the lower hem of the dress. Four smooth, round, glazed buttons made a row at the front, and each was buttoned up so delicately. You could see the soft round curves of what appeared to be breasts. The skirt was rounded, with two hand-sized pockets on both sides. Sora's legs were smooth and tan, obviously shaved, and two white flats enveloped his feet. On one ankle, there a woven silver and gold bracelet, while his right wrist had a white pearl bracelet around it. His nails were trimmed, but made very feminine with the pearl-white polish that lined each nail so perfectly.

All eyes traveled up to Sora's neck. Just below, his collar bones were well defined and, even though no breast line was visible, it made people really wonder. He wore no necklace, but it really wasn't needed—his smooth neck would only be dulled but a necklace or a choker.

Then his face. When Tidus saw, his breath hitched in his throat. Sora looked _a lot_ like a girl. He was leaning forward without realizing it.

Sora wore little cover-up, since his skin was basically flawless as it was. His lashes were curled upward and dark. Dark brown liner curved up at the sides of his eyes, making him appear more feminine. Gold eye shadow covered his lids and a light champagne color shined just under his eyebrows. Both the eye shadow and the yellow color of the dress accentuated his glorious blue eyes. His lips had just a touch of peach lip gloss, causing them to look more plump than usual.

His hair was still spiked, but shorter…_a lot_ shorter. It spiked a bit in the front, and a little in the back and on the sides, but the hair on top of his head was smoother and flatter.

Sora blushed at all the attention he was getting. He was really becoming quite uncomfortable with all the stares. He began crossing and uncrossing his legs, not liking the way they slid against each other due to the absence of his leg hair.

He felt… defiled.

But he noticed a mirror in the front of the room, and when he saw himself, he almost fell over. He looked... oh god. _Wow_ was the only word available. He would date himself if he could, and he _knew_ that sounded vain. He did not, however, like his hair too much, so he scrunched his face and looked away, missing his long, brown spikes.

Tidus was taken aback by his reaction to one of his best _male_ friends. But he really did look like a girl. _Very much_ like a girl. This wasn't really an awkward thought so much as a true one. Anyone would admit Sora looked great.

"Sora... you look…" He was suddenly at a loss for words.

"Beautiful!" Kairi skipped up to him and hugged him tightly. "You look amazing! Oh my god, Sora. You're prettier than ninety percent of the girls at school!"

Sora blushed even more, pushing her away gently. "Okay, jeez Kairi. It's only a costume."

Marluxia shook his head. "Nope, this is your _identity_ for the next two weeks."

Tifa grinned and fluffed his sleeves. "You look really cute, kid."

He meant to retort, but she guided him to the couch by the door and interrupted his thoughts with more words. "Now. The rules of this game are simple, got it? You," She poked his chest and paused for a moment, blinking at the softness of the padded bra he wore. "Uh, you'll be doing this for two weeks. Meaning in order to keep everyone thinking you're of the female species, you have to do a few… things."

She sat up straight and put out one finger. "One, soften your voice a little. I don't mean go soprano, just make it softer, kind of like a girl's voice." A second finger. "Two, _you'll_ need to learn to do your makeup and shave your… body hair, every day." She looked up at Kairi at the sight of Sora's pleading face. "I'm sure Kairi here'll help out when she can. Next, come here whenever you can and Marluxia will supply you with some clothes and accessories. Also, Larxene can give you some make up if you can't use your mom's."

Roxas piped in. "Sora doesn't live with his mom. He and Tidus and I share an apartment since we live so far from the college we're going to next year. His mom's on the other side of the island."

Tifa made a quiet 'oooh' look. "Well, then unless Tidus wants to share _his_ makeup with you, I suggest you borrow some of Larxene's."

Tidus shot her a deadly glare.

"I've got plenty, just take what you need and keep it for future use." Larxene smirked.

Tifa laughed. "Anyway, there're two more things, and they're probably the most important. Do _not_ tell anyone you're a guy— that's self explanatory, considering your challenge is to be a girl. So that means lead everyone on that you're a girl. Avoid talking with people who know you and know you're not a girl. If you meet someone, be a girl. I suggest you read up a little on how girls act, okay?"

Sora nodded slowly, regretting the last few hours of his life immensely.

"Good. And finally, since I know how guys' minds work, I'm sure you're planning on staying at home or wandering some dark alleys or something instead of being in public places where people can actually, you know, _see_ you."

Sora blushed. He hadn't thought of that… but it seemed like a good idea.

"Well, that's not gonna work 'cause Sora, I have a surprise for you… While you, Marluxia, and Larxene were in the back getting ready, I made a phone call to the White Comet Café. And actually, they have a waitress job open."

Sora paled. His lungs seemed to tighten, cutting off his air. He almost choked on his own spit in attempt to swallow.

"You'll be working there for two weeks while pretending to be a girl."

She noticed how watery Sora's eyes were becoming. "Don't worry," She waved it off. "It'll be fun as long as you keep up with the act. And the manager knows all about this, so you won't be lying to her." She sighed and leaned back in her chair, crossing her legs and stretching her arms across the couch. "You're so lucky she owes me a favor. Otherwise you'd be working here in salon, and we have _no_ fun jobs open. Trust me."

Her look was wicked and Sora had no other thought than to trust her wholeheartedly about that. And… He glanced at Marluxia, who arranged his bandana. He'd much rather work in a _dump_ that with a possible child-molester.

Tifa slapped his thigh and stood up, stretching and groaning loudly. "Well, I'll be in the back." She tossed him a folded piece of paper. "Your work schedule's on there and my number too. Call me anytime you need something." She blew a kiss to Tidus, who blushed and looked away angrily.

Sora took a deep breath. He was now… a girl. When he got home he'd have to check in his pants just to make sure he wasn't _one hundred percent _female.

Kairi squealed and jumped into the seat next to him, embracing him. "Sora, you look so adorable! I didn't even recognize you!" She looked at his face, touching his hair, his dress, his bracelet. "You look _so_ pretty." She leaned in. "If you go _anywhere_ near the new guy, I swear I'll make you swallow the bra your wearing. And with that, she gave him a grin and excused herself from the salon.

Sora gulped. Kairi was in love with a new kid at their school, but since it was unlikely that they'd be seeing each other during spring break, Sora would_ definitely_ stay away.

Roxas crouched down in front of him and smiled. "Hey, you look like my ex."

Sora couldn't help the laughter. "Yeah, just don't get too attached." As everyone was complimenting him, he began getting more and more uncomfortable with the whole thing. According to his friends, he was pretty darn gorgeous. But… he didn't want to be a girl. Shifting, Sora drew his attention to Roxas.

"Don't worry, I won't be hitting on you anytime soon." He winked playfully. "By the way, I'll do that history paper if you last a week, okay?"

Sora's world suddenly brightened. "Seriously?"

Roxas laughed. "Yea—_eah_!"

Sora hugged him tightly, laughing all the while. "Thank you_ so_ much Roxas! You have no idea how much this means to me!"

Roxas flushed slightly, feeling like a girl was hugging him. Sora was thin, and his 'breasts' were pressing into Roxas's chest. He even _smelled_ like a girl.

Sora moved away and sighed excitedly. He leaned back against the couch and stared up at the ceiling. Such a huge weight was lifted off his shoulders. But a poking sensation on his chest made him blink and look down.

Tidus slapped Roxas's hand. "Roxas! What are you doing?!"

Roxas stopped pressing a finger onto Sora's bra and faced the other blonde boy. "Just looking. For a second there I thought they had a plastic surgeon in the back room." He chuckled.

Tidus made a face. "Right."

Roxas rolled his eyes. "I'm meeting Axel at the mall to study. Namine's coming too, and you know she hates it when I'm late."

Sora grinned. "Any idea who you're asking yet?"

His cheeks tinted a reddish color.

Tidus elbowed him in the arm suggestively. "You're such a player, man."

Roxas glared. "_Me_?"

"Just go, Namine'll kill you if you're late… again." Sora shooed him out of the salon.

Roxas scratched the back of his head. It was prom two weeks after they came back from their week-and-a-half long spring break, and Roxas had a choice between Axel and Namine. He liked both… _a lot_. And yeah, he was bi. And why not? Both genders were equally attractive. Sure, Sora was a little bothered by it at first when he told him, and Tidus avoided him for like ever, but it was all good now and being bisexual didn't frustrate him as much anymore. "Yeah, okay. Good luck Sora, I'll come visit you at work. Tell me when you're working later."

Tidus shifted a little himself when it was just him and Sora.

"So… what's the White Comet Café?" Sora inquired.

Tidus looked at him, surprised. "You really don't know?"

Sora felt dizzy suddenly. "Don't tell me it's some strip bar…"

Tidus's laughter broke Sora's tension. "No way, it's this… well, _lovey-dovey_, I guess, restaurant covered in pink, and white, and blue, and yellow—all those girly colors. The waitresses all wear these maid-like dresses and the guys wear totally gay tuxes. It's just your kinda place, Sora."

Sora's world went from bright to completely shattered. Shit. "You can't be… _really_? I mean… _really_ really?

Tidus raised a brow. 'Really' about being his kind of place or being girly…? He took it as the latter. "Yeah. But lots of guys go there since so many hot girls work there. Some pretty cute ones go to eat there, too. I've been there a few times. Mostly on days I feel…" He laughed jokingly. "…lonely."

Sora dwelled on this. He stared down at his hands in his lap and tuned Tidus out. No way…

What had he gotten himself into?

* * *

**A little OOC for some of the characters… like maybe Marluxia… but it was necessary. Really. **

**Anyway, it's not much, I suppose, but it was a lot of fun to write! I'm no expert on how these little transformations occur but I had fun guessing! :) And better yet, it might have put a smile on some reader's face out there!**

**So yeah, this is the last 'pseudo'-chapter, for lack of a better word. All the other ones will get straight to the plot, meaning Sora will finally meet Riku and the awkward love scenes will begin!**

**Yes, Roxas is bi. I'm not a big fan of the bi way of life, but hey, I didn't want to make it another one of those yaoi stories where **_**everyone**_** is gay. So in this one, Sora will be the only gay one…not counting Riku, of course… and Roxas is bi, Kairi is straight, as is Tidus. Oh wait, Marluxia's gay too, but just 'cause his hair is pink and he looks that way to me, lol.**

**Yeah, ignore that paragraph, I lost my mind writing it. :P**

**All who liked it, please review. Thank you!**

**- Dragon**


	3. Author's Note!

-1Hey guys! :D

So, I'm ecstatic that some of you have still been reviewing my stories, even after this long period of ignorance on my part. Let my just say that I have not given up on my stories, and so please, I beg of you all, don't give up on me either. I'm going through a rough time. Well, somewhat rough. I'm dealing with college things and my social life seems to be at its peak, lol.

It's not that I have no further interest in Inuyasha, or Harry Potter, or Kingdom Hearts, it's just that I've had less of an interest in keeping up with my writing. You know how it is.

It's like music. You find a song you absolutely adore, and you binge. And then the song gets incredibly old, and you just don't have the patience to listen to it another time. But then after not listening to the song for a while, you go back to hear just one more time, and you think, 'Oh! Why in the world did I ever stop listening to this?'.

Well, it's like that with my stories. I'm a at point in life where I've fan fiction-ed my self out. So a little more time, I'll be able to come back and write, write, write! This has happened many times before, as some of my loyal followers would know. So no worries!

Please keep reviewing! But you don't really have to keep reminding me to post, lol. I mean, you can if you really want to, but I have the fullest intention of continuing these stories.

- Dragon


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